Although the weather has just recently warmed up, temperatures are high enough to make cars an unsafe place for unattended dogs. That is the message Oklahoma officials are conveying to residents to prevent heat-related deaths of children and pets this year, Tulsa World reports.

Leaving a dog in the car while you run into a store quickly may not seem like a serious issue, but the temperature inside a car can climb up to 30 degrees warmer than the temperature outside in as little as 20 minutes, the news outlet reports.

"If you get out of the car, the dog gets out of the car," advises veterinarian Paul Welch, according to the news outlet.

It is important to remember that because dogs cannot regulate their body temperature by sweating like humans can, they can only pant to cool off, VCA Animal Hospitals reports. Heat stroke can lead to organ failure and death, so it is important to remember this when traveling with your dog.

The most common cause of heat stroke in dogs is being left in the car without adequate ventilation, VCA reports. A dog suffering from heat stroke should be treated using cool cloths to lower the body temperature. You should bring your canine to an animal hospital for safe, controlled reduction of its body temperature and to see if further treatment is needed.

BUSINESS HOURS

Emergency

In case of emergency during regular business hours, please call us immediately.

In the event of an after hours emergency, contact an animal hospital emergency clinic. The closest 24 hour emergency clinic to our location is either Blue Pearl Skokie 847-673-9110 or MedVet on Clybourn 773-281-7110.

If you have recently adopted a pet from PAWS and have an emergency please contact VCA Berwyn Animal Hospital at 708-749-4200.

Specialty Care

As part of the VCA family, we have over 83 specialty hospitals across the US and Canada which provide referral specialty care, so there may be one near you. Enter ZIP to find VCA specialty care hospitals near you.